


Painting the Town Red

by Oneofthe3gs



Category: VIXX
Genre: Blood, Fluff, Model!Sanghyuk, Needles, Painter!Leo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-03
Updated: 2018-11-03
Packaged: 2019-08-16 22:15:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,241
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16503737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oneofthe3gs/pseuds/Oneofthe3gs
Summary: Leo stared intently at him, his gaze feeling like fire along Sanghyuk’s skin. He took a few quiet steps around Sanghyuk, inspecting him much like the old woman had. Instead of reaching for his wrist Leo took his hand, looking at his fingers and turning it to look at his palm. Leo nods before he turns back to the woman. “You did a good job Bohee. He’s just what I need.” Leo turns back to him. “What’s your name?” “Uhh Sanghyuk. Han Sanghyuk.” He answers in a rush. “Well Sanghyuk, how would you feel about helping  me out with a piece?"





	Painting the Town Red

     Leo is known around town. His paintings bring tears to anyone who looked at his work. Although to the naked eye his work was nothing but wild lines and scribbles, for some reason the art community deemed them masterpieces. Every person saw something different in his work. Some saw the anguished soul of a true artist. Others saw a colorful journey through joy and bliss. (And the people who saw squiggles and lines saw a very nice piece a four year old probably made.) No matter what people saw they all agreed on one thing. Leo put his heart into his paintings. Every piece had a piece of his soul locked into it. While his erratic form of painting seemed to have been done stream of consciousness style, every line was calculated. Every turn, every loop, every dash, and every dot had it’s purpose. Most fans of his work would spend hours staring at his pieces, as if they were possessed. As if the lines and the dashes were the key to the mysterious artist’s heart and mind. As if, if they cracked the code, they would be able to figure out the man behind the paintings. A few became obsessed with the hunt for a picture of the painter. Every time he had someone drop off a new piece for his collection, that poor soul was interrogated until the public was convinced they did not directly talk to the artist. It happened frequently, to the point that delivery men were afraid of going up to the little mansion on the hill to collect the new pieces that came out that month. That time was fast approaching.

 

     Sanghyuk was new to the delivery business. Actually he was new to any business since his mother had just let him get a job so he could make his own money. Unfortunately, this led to him getting the short end of the stick. Because he was new meat his initiation into the delivery business was to get the delivery from Leo’s mansion. Sanghyuk nearly bolted when he was told the news. But he was strong willed and refused to walk away from this job unless they kicked him out. So, he put on a brave face and started his long trek to the hill. When he arrived at the artist’s house he was greeted with many fans lined up across the street from the old house. Leo’s fans were respectful enough. They only crowded his house like this on delivery days, respecting the artist’s privacy but hoping to catch at least a glimpse of him on delivery day. The crowd didn’t seem too bad this time around, most of them being girls and boys who were trying to see if their theories about how Leo looked were correct. Sanghyuk thought it strange, no one knew what the artist looked like so how would they know it was him? Sanghyuk was sure Leo could answer the door and no one would know. He said as much to his sister, an avid Leo fan, and she had hissed at him, saying Leo would have an aura about him that would confirm who he was. 

 

     Sanghyuk shook himself out of his thoughts, opening the door of the delivery truck he had just learned to drive. He walked up to the gates of the old mansion. He heard the crowd start to whisper behind him. He also heard a few clicks from different cameras, most likely getting a view of who he was so they could interrogate him later. Sanghyuk let out a breath and walked through the gate, reaching the giant front door after a few minutes. Sanghyuk lifted his hand and grabbed tightly onto the door knocker, which was in the shape of a fierce looking lion. He knocked a few times, each knock stronger than the last. A little old woman answered the door. “Can I help you with something?” She asked kindly. “Good Morning ma’am. I’m here to pick up Leo’s paintings for the month?” He asked, since sometimes Leo didn’t have new pieces to deliver. The old woman looked him up and down, as if making sure his uniform wasn’t fake. “Of course, could you follow me in please?” Sanghyuk’s head tilted a little but he followed her in. That wasn’t part of the routine. The boys at the company told him that the paintings were usually stored next to the door, so he wouldn’t have to step too deeply into the house. The large door slammed behind him, and he swore he heard a few of the girls outside squealing. “Tell me dear, how tall are you?” The little old woman said as she circled around him. “I’m six feet tall ma’am.” He answered, slightly confused by the question. The woman finished circling around him and reached for one of his arms. “May I?” She asked. Sanghyuk nodded, not entirely sure what she was asking for. She gently grabbed him by the wrist, extending his arm out until it was parallel to the floor. “Yes, I think you’ll do quite nicely.” She let go of his arm. “Young man, would you be willing to stay in the drawing room for little bit? I need to speak with someone quickly. You don’t have to stay though, the paintings are right next to the door if you don’t have the time.” Sanghyuk thought about just grabbing the paintings and leaving, but his curiosity got the better of him. “I can wait.” He said. 

 

     The little old woman led him to the drawing room of the mansion. He was amazed by all of the paintings that were hang all around the room. “Feel free to take a close look at the paintings. They are all works that Leo didn’t feel confident enough to release.” Sanghyuk looked to the old woman before turning back to the paintings. “I assume I wouldn’t be able to take pictures of them then?” He said, thinking about how delighted his sister would be with the paintings. “I’m afraid not.” She then leaned in to whisper. “But if you take the pictures while I’m gone no one would know.” She said as she walked off. Sanghyuk pulled out his phone and snapped a few photos of the paintings he liked the most. He reached one that caused him to pause and lower his camera. It looked like a piece of Leo’s normal work. Wild dashes and random curves that made their way across the canvas. But then he took two steps back, and there it was. The wild dashes turned into eyes, ears, and lips. The nonsensical curves turned into shoulders and hips. A man stood in the painting, hidden from the eyes of people who didn’t take the time to notice him in there. Sanghyuk reached out to touch the figure painted in red, but suddenly the door to the room swung open. In walked in the old woman, and behind her was one of the prettiest men Sanghyuk had ever seen. That really was the only way to describe him, pretty. Sanghyuk met the man’s sharp eyes, the other man’s lips set in a small pout. The cream off the shoulder sweater he was wearing showed a bit of his marble like skin, and the longer pieces of his dark hair brushed against it. His long arms were wrapped around his waist as he approached Sanghyuk. “This is the young man I was talking about, Leo.” The old woman said.  _ “Leo?”  _ Sanghyuk thought as his attention snapped back to the other man. 

 

     Leo stared intently at him, his gaze feeling like fire along Sanghyuk’s skin. He took a few quiet steps around Sanghyuk, inspecting him much like the old woman had. Instead of reaching for his wrist Leo took his hand, looking at his fingers and turning it to look at his palm. Leo nods before he turns back to the woman. “You did a good job Bohee. He’s just what I need.” Leo turns back to him. “What’s your name?” “Uhh Sanghyuk. Han Sanghyuk.” He answers in a rush. “Well Sanghyuk, how would you feel about helping  me out with a piece? I know it’s short notice and you probably have a few more deliveries to do, but I need a model. I would go and look for one, but I’m afraid the idea will leave if I wait that long. I’ll only need you for today.” Sanghyuk’s mind goes on the fritz for a good minute. Him? The Leo, the most famous painter in town, was asking him to be a model? “Sure. Yeah. I don’t have any other deliveries today so that should be fine.” Leo gives him a small smile. “Thank you. Once the piece is done you can take it with you. And for your time you can keep those photos of this room I know you have on your phone.” Sanghyuk blushed at being caught but followed Leo to his studio. The studio was big, and in the middle stood a large canvas painted to look like a park, with yellow silhouettes painted on it. The silhouettes seemed to be various people enjoying a day at the park. Leo walked over to a dresser that sat at the far edge of the room. He pulled out a few, neatly folded, pieces of clothing. “Here, you can put these on in the bathroom. I wouldn’t want to ruin your uniform.” Sanghyuk went to change.

 

     When Sanghyuk came out of the bathroom Leo made sure to explain the piece. “I want to experiment with a different style. I want to see about giving some photography a chance. So what I’m gonna do is paint your arms and face. We might also throw a wig on, but I haven’t decided on that yet. And after that I’ll take a few photos. Are you comfortable with me doing that?” Sanghyuk nodded. Leo stood him on top of a sheet of paper to avoid getting any paint on the floor. Leo then got to work, painting Sanghyuk’s arms and face in blue paint. Leo decided to use a navy wig, which wasn’t much longer than his natural hair. The final touch was a big smile that was painted on the back of his right hand in the same yellow the silhouettes were. Leo took a good look at him before nodding. “Perfect.” Sanghyuk was then instructed to stand in the middle of the canvas. “Now could you just cover your mouth with the hand with the smile painted on it? You can do any poses you like.” The painter took various photos of Sanghyuk, who tried his best to play into what he perceived the concept to be. Once Leo was satisfied he looked over the photos. “I think this one is my favorite one.” He said, pointing to the photo. Sanghyuk stood in the middle of the canvas, the hand with the smile covering his mouth, while the empty hand reached out towards the camera. Sanghyuk had to give himself a pat on the back from how he managed to put a sorrowful look in his eyes. “Alright, there’s a shower in the bathroom you were in. I’m gonna put this photo on a separate usb while you clean up.” Sanghyuk nodded and left the room. 

 

     Sanghyuk was at the main entrance to the home, waiting for Leo to give him the usb. Leo came down the stairs, a small wooden box in his hand. “When you get to the exhibit hall tell the person who receives the delivery to give this to Hakyeon. He’ll know what to do.” Sanghyuk nodded and took the box. “Thanks again for your help today. And I’m sorry for taking up so much of your time.” Taekwoon said softly, looking at how dark it was outside. “I hope you don’t get yelled at for being out so late.” Sanghyuk chuckled. “I’m sure I’ll get an earful for not calling anyone. But I would say it’s worth it. I know the face of the ever mysterious Leo.” Leo gives him a small smile. “I mean I put my face in every painting. It’s just that no one looks in the right place.” Sanghyuk nods. “I’ll be sure to keep a lookout for it then.” Sanghyuk goes to pick up the paintings so he could leave but he pauses. “You know. I wouldn’t mind being your model again. If you ever need one again that is?” Leo smiles a little wider. “Well, if I need one again I’ll know who to call.”

 

     With the success of the photo, Leo decided he wanted to call Sanghyuk over a lot. And Sanghyuk was more than happy to go over and model for him. Leo’s concepts were always so interesting to shoot for, and Sanghyuk never left the old mansion without at least two to three photos that Leo liked. They bonded over the time they spent together. That wasn’t to say that Leo had abandoned painting, however. Leo still painted as much as he could. And his fans also stayed the same. Looking through every painting and every photo for something that would tell them the things Leo had willingly showed him. Of course the day after his first photo shoot he was hounded for information. But Sanghyuk kept his mouth shut, only telling them that Leo really put himself into every piece. Eventually the mob quieted down, but there were one or two obsessed fans who would beg for details about Leo every few weeks. Because of Sanghyuk’s loyalty and budding friendship with the artist, the company made him Leo’s official delivery boy. Sanghyuk didn’t complain since Bohee always had snacks waiting for him on delivery days. All was well for Sanghyuk and Leo, who grew closer each time they met. All of this came to a bit of a head one fateful day.

 

     When Sanghyuk walked through the door the last thing he expected was for Bohee to flop in the chair in the drawing room, her eyes tired. “Good morning Bohee. Is everything okay?” He asked, genuinely worried for the little old woman who became a grandmother figure to him. Bohee let out a sigh. “It’s Leo. I don’t know what possessed him to do it but he accepted a client’s request. I’ve never seen him accept one of those before. My guess is because of what he’s been  doing the last few days. He’s been obsessed with getting it right. He hasn’t slept for days!” Sanghyuk grew concerned. “That’s why I called you here, dear. If anyone has the power to convince that man to get some rest it’s you” “Does he really like me that much?” Bohee raises an eyebrow. “What? No, you’re just more stubborn than he is. You’ll probably push his buttons so much sleep will be the only way to get rid of you.” Sanghyuk put his hand to his chest. “Wow Bohee. I’m really feeling the love.” He says, standing up so he can talk to Leo. “He’s in his studio right?” Bohee nodded before she stretched herself out on the couch, falling asleep before Sanghyuk could reach the door of the studio. 

 

     “Alright Leo time to get your ass to-” Sanghyuk cut himself off at the sight in front of him. Leo sat on one of the many stools in the studio, a needle in his arm that he was slowly drawing out blood with. “You are so lucky that I’m used to Bohee loudly walking in or else we might have had a major accident.” Leo said as he took the needle out of his arm, quickly covering the puncture wound with gauze and a little bit of medical tape. Sanghyuk blinked, not believing his eyes. “Umm What the hell? Why are you drawing blood?” Leo looked at him, his eyebrows furrowed. “None of the reds in my paint collection are the right shade of red for this painting. The client was very specific about what she wanted. One of those things being blood red silhouettes.” He says as he puts the blood into a container. “Don’t worry I called her about this beforehand and we are both taking the proper precautions to make this as sanitary and safe as possible.” He says casually, dipping his brush into the container as he continues to work on his painting. Sanghyuk is flabbergasted. “Do you paint with your blood all the time?” Leo thinks back. “Not as much anymore. Back when I was first starting I did. But that had some . . . unsavory consequences.” 

 

     Sanghyuk went to sit next to Leo. “For example?” He asked. Leo bit his lip. “There was one client who wanted the entire portrait done in red. And the only red I liked to work with came from blood. I remember that I just kept drawing more and more blood. It got to the point that I was getting really sick from the blood loss. If Hakyeon hadn’t walked in on me then I think I would have ended up drawing myself dry. That’s when I hired Bohee, since she was a nurse before she decided to work for me. She usually draws the blood for me so I don’t go overboard.” Leo said, smiling fondly at the memory of the first few day Bohee started work. “But she just looked really tired today so I didn’t bother her about it.” Sanghyuk looked at the painting. “Do you need any more blood to finish it off?” He asked, noting how blank the canvas seemed. Leo let out a sigh. “Unfortunately yes. But I’ve reached my limit.” Leo huffed. “It was supposed to be done today, I hope the client isn’t too mad at me for not getting it done.” Sanghyuk looked at the painting. “How much would you need?” “Not much more. Why?” Sanghyuk stretched out his arm. “If you don’t need much more you can always use mine.” Leo’s eyes widened. “What? You would do that?” “I mean yeah. I don’t want you to get in trouble with the client. Plus it’s not like they would know the difference. You said you’re going to make sure it’s all safe and sanitary, so there shouldn’t be a problem right?” Leo looked more confused. “But why? You don’t even know my real name.” Sanghyuk shrugged. “‘A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.’” Leo groaned. “Did you really just use Shakespeare on me?” Sanghyuk smiled wide. “What can I say? It’s the only thing I remember from school.” Leo chuckled a bit before turning serious. “Are you sure you want to do this?” Sanghyuk put his arm on the table. “Is my name Han Sanghyuk?” 

 

     Leo called the client to make sure they had approval. The client was all too happy to agree. “That lady is weird. I mean how many people would want a painting made of blood just hanging in their living room?” Leo smirked as he gently drew the blood. “You’d be surprised.” He said as he put gauze on Sanghyuk’s wound. The painting was finished in silence, Sanghyuk watching Leo do his work. Once the painting was finished Sanghyuk took a long look at it. “So Leo-” “Taekwoon.” “Huh?” Leo looked at Sanghyuk. “That’s my real name. Taekwoon.” Sanghyuk smiled brightly. “Well then. Taekwoon, what is this painting about?” Taekwoon reached for Sanghyuk’s hand, holding it tightly.

 

**“Lovers.”**

 

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed the story!


End file.
